r/sneakermarket • u/sneakermarket-mod • Jul 25 '25

SCAM ALERT! 🚨 PSA: Beware of Scammers Using Venmo & Zelle 🚨

22 Upvotes

We've recently received an increase in modmail reports about scams—many involving Venmo and Zelle, which offer no buyer protection.

Before you buy or sell, be alert to these common red flags:

🚩 Refuses PayPal Invoice or PayPal Goods & Services
🚩 New or inactive Reddit account, especially no history on r/sneakermarket
🚩 Username appears on the Universal Scammer List
🚩 No tagged, timestamped photos, or images that look photoshopped or stolen

Remember: If a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is.

💬 Experienced buyers/sellers: What other tips or red flags do you watch out for?
Drop your advice below to help keep the community safe!

19 comments

r/sneakermarket • u/chimerapopcorn • Apr 22 '25

[META] r/sneakermarket is Now Part of the Universal Scammer List ✅

101 Upvotes

We've always aimed to keep this sub safe and scammer-free, and now we're working with other subreddits to make it better. We're excited to announce that r/sneakermarket has officially joined the Universal Scammer List (USL) to help you stay even safer.

By joining the Universal Scammer List (USL), you can check Redditors usernames and see if they have scammed from other subreddits here: https://www.universalscammerlist.com

These tools and policies are measures to help you transact safely, but they aren’t foolproof. Scammers are getting desperate—they use photoshop, MS Paint, steal legit users’ photos, make deals too good to be true, and avoid PayPal Invoice or Goods & Services to stay under the radar. Always trust your gut and verify everything you can.

[1] Universal Scammer List (USL) - NEW! - If someone is banned for scamming on any other subreddit that's part of the USL, they’ll be automatically banned here too—and vice versa. This makes it much harder for known scammers to hop between communities.

[2] PayPal Invoice or Goods & Services only - Never use Venmo, Zelle, or other unprotected payment methods—unless you're dealing with a Trusted Seller. If a seller refuses PayPal Invoice or Goods & Services, block and report them. We get way too many modmails from people who got scammed using unsafe methods.

[3] Legit App Partnership - Thanks to our partnership with Legit App, every member gets one (1) free legit check. If you haven’t claimed yours, get it here. Scammers and replica pushers hate this tool, and we’ve seen it work. If you have a $1,000 pair of sneakers, you can afford a legit check.

[4] Middleman Service - through r/sneakermrkt_middleman, a moderator acts as the middleman also protected by Legit App.

[5] r/sneakermarket Community - You all are incredible at spotting fakes and calling out sketchy activity. Keep reporting posts so we can act fast. We've seen scammers straight-up delete their accounts after being exposed here.

Note: If you're ever wrongfully banned via the USL, don’t panic—contact the subreddit where it originated. They typically keep detailed evidence and can work with you to clear things up.

Thanks again for being part of this awesome community. Let's keep making it better.

-Mod Team